Employer compensates candidate for withdrawing his job offer

An employer was ordered by an employment tribunal to compensate a candidate for breaking the pledge that he was offered the job.

According to reports by Personnel Today, the employer Snozone Ltd was to pay candidate McCann one month’s salary worth £2,708 (HK$27080) as well as tribunal fees of £390 (HK$3900) for breach of contract damages.

The UK indoor skiing centre made an offer to McCann who interviewed for a maintenance engineer post through a recruitment agency acting on its behalf, and then decided to withdraw it.

Following two interviews, McCann told the tribunal he had come to a verbal agreement with the company on a job offer, a point which the employer denied and triggered McCann to bring the claim to court for damages for breach of contract.

Although salary and start date were not yet confirmed, the employment tribunal believed McCann’s was offered a job and awarded him the compensation.

According to the tribunal, the contract of employment could be terminated only by giving notice of no less than one month. As the employer terminated the contract without notice, McCann was awarded the compensation.